[Infection associated with the use of assisted-ventilation devices]

Effectiveness of the systematic use of antimicrobial filters in the water taps of critical care units for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

BACKGROUND

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is the third leading aetiological agent in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the one most frequently found in patients with pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation. In intensive care units (ICU), its appearance is associated with higher mortality, an increase in the days spent on ventilation, and hospital stay length and costs. Thus, evaluating strategies for preventing these infections is essential for their control. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the systematic use of antimicrobial filters in preventing PA infections in critical care units.

METHODS

This was an open experimental crossover study. A total of 2,156 patients admitted for more than 24 hours in critical care units were included, 1,129 of them in units with filters, and 1,027 in units without filters. The study groups were followed-up for 24 months and HAIs were checked for the presence of PA. Chi-squared test were used to compare the rate of HAIs between groups and we calculated 95% confidence intervals adjusted by Poisson regression for the rate ratio (RR) of the association magnitude.

RESULTS

Both groups were homogeneous in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic patient factors. The incidence of PA infections in the units with filters was 5.5 cases/1,000 hospitalized days and 5.4/1,000 hospitalized days for the units without water filters (RR = 1.09 [0.67-1.79]).

CONCLUSIONS

Routine placing antimicrobial filters in the water taps in critical care units was not an effective means of preventing the emergence of HAIs caused by PA.

The incidence and risk factors of ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

Introduction. Patients with severe traumatic brain injury are at a risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence, etiology, risk factors for development of ventilator- associated pneumonia and outcome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Material and Methods. A retrospective study was done in 72 patients with severe traumatic brain injury, who required mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. Results. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was found in 31 of 72 (43.06%) patients with severe traumatic brain injury. The risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia were: prolonged mechanical ventilation (12.42 vs 4.34 days, p<0.001), longer stay at intensive care unit (17 vs 5 days, p<0.001) and chest injury (51.61 vs 19.51%, p< 0.009) compared to patients without ventilator-associated pneumonia.. The mortality rate in the patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia was higher (38.71 vs 21.95%, p= 0.12). Conclusion. The development of ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients with severe traumatic brain injury led to the increased morbidity due to the prolonged mechanical ventilation, longer stay at intensive care unit and chest injury, but had no effect on mortality.